Do you have any photos of how you want it to look? I would also worry about the cave effect. We have had a tv ( for movies, not actual tv) over a fireplace in our basement for years but it is a gas FP and therefore the heat can be turned off or down very quickly, unlike a wood fire that burns for hours. If you have a massive Fp I would probably make sure there is a goof layer of heat resistant material above it.

I really like oakleyoak's pic, too. We are in the process of completing our own fireplace. I would think rustic fieldstone (mortared) would give a nice old world look. Or you could try a stone done in a dry stack effect (just looks like stones stacked on one another). But the mortared irregular fieldstones might give a nice effect. Our own fireplace is very rustic but with a different look. We have a raised hearth and used shadow ledgestone done in a dry stack (no mortar), it is a stone veneer and looks very rustic. Surrounding the firebox we have tumbled multicolor slate tiles, then an oak mantel/surround in a craftsman style. The drywall above the mantel is tapered back to the other walls. Hope this helps. Amy

@calidesign, we know but hubby wants a place to prop his feet up or sit and poke at the logs. The other side of the fireplace is the dining room side and we have a very shallow raised hearth just as a reminder that there’s a real fire there, oh...and a little shelf for s’more fixings :). The other two fire places are direct vent gas, no hearths.

I’m glad you were able to get in touch with someone at RomaBio. It’s good to know that they’re responsive to customer inquiries! With that said, I think I’m changing my recommendation to Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, which is so easy to work with and is available in smaller, “craft-sized” cans. (I think RomaBio is only sold in gallons.) In fact, in most cases, little to no prep. work—sanding OR priming!—is needed. She has instructional videos detailing numerous techniques, one of which just happens to be How To Paint On Marble With Chalk Paint, though I don’t think she’s doing a wash effect in that one.